The 2025 college football regular season is over, and it is time for the playoffs and post-regular season events like bowl games and awards. Of those awards, the most prestigious and sought-after is the Heisman trophy. The Heisman Trophy is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in U.S. college football, embodying excellence, diligence, and hard work, and will be given to one of four players this Saturday in New York.
The Heisman finalists for this year’s race include Indiana junior quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, Ohio State freshman quarterback, Julian Sayin, Vanderbilt senior quarterback, Diego Pavia, and Notre Dame junior running back, Jeremiyah Love. Fernando Mendoza is the current favorite to win.
Fernando Mendoza began his college football career at the University of California, Cal, in 2024, where he passed for over 3,000 yards and 16 touchdowns (ESPN, 2024). He then transferred to the University of Indiana before the 2025 season to join his brother, Alberto Mendoza. This year, Mendoza has passed for 2,980 yards and 33 passing touchdowns; he has also run the ball for 280 yards and five rushing touchdowns. Fernando has also led the Hoosiers to the BIG Ten Championship and won their first conference title since 1967 and first outright title since 1945 (ESPN). Fernando also led the Hoosiers to their first-ever win in Happy Valley over the Pennsylvania State Nittany Lions. This year, the Hoosiers have also defeated the Oregon Ducks in Eugene when, at the time, Oregon was ranked tenth in the country. Lastly, Indiana broke their 32-game losing streak to the Ohio State Buckeyes when they won the BIG Ten Championship last Saturday.
The next Heisman contender is Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia. Pavia started small after high school at NMMI (New Mexico Military Institute). Jake Mozarsky from Sportingnews.com said, “He (Pavia) had no FBS offers out of high school, so he attended NMMI, where he walked on as the third-string quarterback. In January of 2022, Pavia committed to New Mexico State, where he had two standout seasons, throwing for over 4,400 yards, 39 TDs, rushing for 1,400+ yards, and leading NMSU to a 10-win season and two bowl games (Mozarsky, 2024). In December of 2023, he entered the transfer portal and initially signed with Nevada, but changed his mind and decided to follow two of his coaches to the University of Vanderbilt. Pavia did not disappoint. In 2023, the year before his arrival, the Commodores had a record of two wins and ten losses, sitting at the bottom of the entire South Eastern Conference (SEC). In 2024, Diego led the Commodores to a seven-win season, including a win over top-ranked Alabama. Torin Smith of NCAA.com said, “In 2025, Diego Pavia was the star quarterback for Vanderbilt, leading them to a historic 10-win season, earning SEC Offensive Player of the Year, winning the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, and becoming a Heisman Trophy finalist for his dual threat dominance, totaling over 4,000 yards and 36 touchdowns, solidifying his legacy as a program-changing player (Smith, 2025).”
Next is Julian Sayin. Julian was a five-star recruit and ranked second in the nation as a dual-threat quarterback his senior year of high school. Sayin committed to the University of Alabama in 2022, his junior year of high school, and was the Elite 11 Camp MVP in 2023. Cody Nagel from CBS Sports said, “Sayin enrolled early in 2024 to practice with the Crimson Tide before the Rose Bowl. Shortly after the Rose Bowl, Nick Saban announced his retirement. Sayin entered the transfer portal only five days later, where he was quickly picked up by OSU (Nagel).” Sayin was redshirted his freshman year, only playing in four games on the National Champion team led by quarterback Will Howard. This year, Sayin passed for 3,330 yards and 31 passing touchdowns. Sayin also had a completion percentage of 78.9% and a passer rating of 184.9, both are ranked first among FBS schools. Sayin has at least one more year before he is eligible for the NFL Draft, so this will not be the last time Julian Sayin is involved in the Heisman conversation.
The last Heisman finalist is Jeremiyah Love. Love, unlike the other three on this list, started and stayed at the University of Notre Dame. In 2024, Love rushed for over 1,000 yards and led the Irish to a National Championship. This year, Jeremiyah rushed for 1,300 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns. His eight carry, 171-yard performance in Notre Dame’s 70 to 7 win against Syracuse was one of the best rushing performances all season. Will Bakus from CBS Sports said, “Love most likely won’t win the Heisman, but he certainly belongs at the ceremony. He’s powered Notre Dame’s offense all season long as one of the most explosive runners in college football. Love is one of just two running backs at the FBS level with at least 1,000 rushing yards.” It will be interesting to see if Love chooses to enter the draft and if he can be a factor in the NFL.
The 2025 college football season has ended, and four standout players: Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, and Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love, have been named Heisman Trophy finalists. Mendoza is the favorite after leading Indiana to its first Big Ten title since 1967 and a historic season marked by major program milestones. Pavia transformed Vanderbilt into a 10-win SEC contender, while Sayin delivered elite passing efficiency in his first full season as Ohio State’s starter. Love, a key force in Notre Dame’s offense, rounds out the finalists with another explosive year on the ground. Be sure to watch the Heisman presentation this Saturday at 7:00 P.M.
